Stoke head down the M6 for what looks like the stiffest test of their promotion credentials yet to face a Villa side banging in goals for fun just lately. We caught up with GREGG EVANS from the Birmingham Mail to find out what’s now going so right at Villa Park after years in the doldrums...

1 Four wins and two draws in your last six games, Gregg, is this the real Aston Villa we are now finally seeing?

GREGG: Yes, finally Villa have burst into life. The most expensive Championship squad ever has started to show its worth - scoring a whopping 19 goals in a six-game unbeaten run.

Leaking goals is still an issue and Villa have drawn a couple of games that they really should have seen out.

But the fans aren’t complaining - finally - and are enjoying the ride.

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2 And it’s been 17 points from 27 since Dean Smith took over, so tell us a bit about his impact.

GREGG: He’s one of the brightest managers outside the top-flight and also a very likeable guy. He’s told the players exactly what he wants from them and they’ve responded positively. Training methods are different and varied. Maybe that freshness was all the Villa needed to kickstart the season.

Tactically, it’s a more positive approach, but as it’s still the same players, it’s hard to give him the full credit, but also difficult to wonder why it wasn’t going so well under the previous regime.

Dean Smith... knocking Villa into shape after taking the reins in early October (Image: PA)

3 Presumably the Villa Park atmosphere is returning to something like its best?

GREGG: The last few games have been enjoyable. A 5-5 draw with Nottingham Forest and a 4-2 win over bitter rivals Birmingham City. The fans are certainly being entertained and that’s all they’ve really asked for.

4 And seeing as Villa scored those four against Birmingham and then five against Forest in their last two home games, what price six against Stoke?

GREGG: Well, wouldn’t that be something! And although this sounds crazy, I wouldn’t put it past this team scoring six goals against an opponent this season. The amount of chances they create is incredible. Tammy Abraham has four or five a game himself!

That said, I believe Stoke are on the up and think this will be a really difficult game for Villa, especially with injury concerns.

Tammy Abraham... full of goals lately (Image: Getty)

5 Talking of which, how big a miss will Jack Grealish be if he can’t conquer his injury problem?

GREGG: Massive. He makes Villa tick and although he doesn’t score or directly set up many goals, he plays a huge part in the build-up. Villa do not have a direct replacement. There is no like-for-like player who can bring the same type of ball-carrying qualities and wide array of passing that he brings.